10. Will Houston Texans wide receiver, Andre Johnson remain a high end WR2 under new quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick?
In the first game of the Texans’ preseason, the team plays in Arizona. While a starter like Johnson won’t get too many passes, he will be worth observing under a yet again, a new quarterback in Fitzpatrick.
Johnson was grim about his return to the Texans in 2014, however, he ultimately made the decision to stay in Houston. Fitzpatrick is an upgrade over former quarterback, Matt Schaub in my opinion. Johnson has had time to put his attitude aside and accept his quarterback situation. He should remain a high-end WR2 you can rely upon for your 2014 fantasy team.
9. Can rookie wide receiver, Kelvin Benjamin connect with quarterback Cam Newton to prove he is worth considering as wide receiver depth?
Carolina hosts Buffalo in their first game of the preseason, and the team’s first-round draft pick, Benjamin will certainly draw the interest of viewers and potential fantasy drafters. Newton is with almost an entirely new receiving crew, and Benjamin was drafted to fill some major gaps.
If Newton can complete just a couple of passes to Benjamin, during their first game, this would definitely increase the rookie’s stock entering into 2014 fantasy drafts. Newton, who is still healing from ankle surgery likely won’t see too much playing time, but if he and Benjamin can connect, Benjamin could eventually offer some value.
8. Will the Titans’ rookie running back, Bishop Sankey impress enough to wanrant drafting as an RB2?
Tennessee hosts Green Bay in their preseason opener. All eyes will be on Sankey as he has built up quite a reputation over the summer as the running back to oust Shonn Greene out of the starting position.
Sankey was a beast in his last two college seasons tallying up 3,300 rushing yards and scoring 36 touchdowns. Of course numbers anywhere near these in his first NFL official match up would be somewhat far-fetched. However, current mock drafts often show Sankey going off the board as an RB2. Those folks interested in possibly drafting Sankey will want to monitor him in his first NFL appearance to see if such a high draft value still holds true.
7. Can quarterback Josh McCown excite his fans as the new Tampa Bay starter in order to become a trustworthy fantasy quarterback?
McCown surprised many last season with the amazing stats he put up while covering for Chicago Bears’ Jay Cutler. Of course, McCown was in familiar surroundings, working with two elite wide receivers, who made a fantasy star out of him.
Now, McCown finds himself the starter for a brand-new team, so watching him perform under center this week as the Buccaneers travel to Jacksonville will give us a sampling his future in 2014. McCown will be passing to the seasoned Vincent Jackson and rookie Mike Evans. While Jackson’s time on the field will be limited, take in all you can between he and McCown, who hopefully will instill upon us that he is worthy of a backup quarterback draft this year.
6. Will St.Louis Rams’ rookie running back Tre Mason pose a possible threat to the fantasy value of starter, Zac Stacy?
The Rams welcome the New Orleans Saints in this year’s first preseason game. While eyes will be on the team’s current starter, Stacy, fantasy drafters will also want to monitor the handy footwork of the rookie Mason.
Coming off his last year in Auburn where he rushed for 1,816 yards at an average of 5.7 yards per carry, Mason will be fascinating to see in action. Where Stacy was productive enough as the team’s starter in 2013, he wasn’t the speediest of performers averaging just 3.9 yards per carry. Mason may be utilized as a change of pace back, which could put a dent into Stacy’s overall fantasy value.
5, How will a change in team impact Washington Redskins’ wide receiver, DeSean Jackson’s fantasy outlook?
Washington plays home to the New England Patriots for their preseason opener, and Jackson will be starting with a new team for the first time in six years. It will surely be worth watching Jackson working with Robert Griffin III as his quarterback. Of course, as starters, we are not likely to see a huge dose of action, so absorb in all you can to see if all signs point towards Jackson retaining his 2013 fantasy value.
With a trusty wide receiver Pierre Garcon in the picture, he could surely stand to throw a monkey wrench into Jackson’s targets. A re-evaluation of Jackson is clearly in order to determine his 2014 potential.
4. How well will Dallas Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden perform in order for fantasy drafters to trust him as a backup quarterback?
The Dallas Cowboys travel to San Diego to face the Chargers in their first preseason game. It is reported that the teams’ starting quarterback Tony Romo will not participate in this game. Weeden will be under the spotlight to give us a glimmer of hope that he indeed could be a reliable lead quarterback in the event he has to cover for Romo.
How well Weeden performs could convince fantasy drafters that he actually might make an acceptable backup fantasy quarterback if need be. However, if Weeden looks terrible, he could scare people off, even upsetting Romo’s fantasy value. He is a must-watch to get a feel of how he performs while under the gun in his first official duty as a Cowboy.
3. Will the Vikings rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater get enough opportunity to show potential fantasy drafters that he is worth a roster spot?
When the Minnesota Vikings host the Oakland Raiders in their first preseason game, all eyes will be on the Vikings’ rookie quarterback, Bridgewater. While Bridgewater will be splitting time with Matt Cassel, potential fantasy drafters will want to breathe in all they can from Bridgewater to see if he looks worthy of drafting as backup quarterback for fantasy rosters.
Hopefully, Bridgewater will outshine his competition earning him a spot as a worthwhile fantasy backup in 2014.
2. How impressive will Cleveland Browns’ rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel perform in order to be considered fantasy draft worthy?
The Cleveland Browns travel to Detroit as Manziel makes his NFL debut this Saturday night. Talk about a crowd gatherer, as the rookie will be under immense pressure to please his fans, strive towards earning the starting job and prove to the world he can handle life as an NFL quarterback.
Potential fantasy drafters will be watching Manziel to see if he makes a worthwhile fantasy selection as a backup quarterback. How Manziel performs versus Brian Hoyer will eventually tip the hands of the Browns in deciding who will be the team’s starter in Week 1. If Manziel makes a favorable impression in the preseason opener, his stock rises as a fantasy option.
1. Will Denver Broncos quarterback, Peyton Manning be able to man-up against the daunting Seattle Seahawks defense?
The Denver Broncos host their worst nightmare in their first preseason game when the Seattle Seahawks come to town. Manning will likely play just a few snaps, however, if he performs anything like he did in the past Super Bowl, fans and potential fantasy football drafters may doubt him entering into the 2014 season.
Manning and the entire Broncos offense stunk it up the last time they officially played football, so with six months to prepare for their first matchup in 2014, they’ve got to prove they won’t cave when facing a top defensive unit.
For potential fantasy drafters, they will be looking for Manning to prove that he is still worthy of being the No. 1 quarterback selected in drafting. Any signs of Manning stumbling out of the gate in the preseason opener, could be a possible red flag.